1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to control systems and methods for equipment service vehicles.
2. Description of Related Art
A diverse array of military vehicles exist that are used in combat and non-combat scenarios. Such vehicles include vehicles that are found only in military settings, such as tanks, as well as vehicles that are military adaptations of widely used civilian vehicles, such as dump trucks, water pump trucks, wrecker trucks (for towing other vehicles), telephone trucks (for digging holes for telephone poles), and so on. Depending on the type of military vehicle and its intended military application, it is often desirable for the military vehicle to be able to withstand a severe amount of punishment and yet still remain operational, for example, when the vehicle has been damaged by enemy fire, nearby explosions, and so on.
Currently, control systems that are used for military vehicles vary widely depending among other things on the task that the vehicle is designed to perform. At one end of the spectrum are military vehicles that have almost entirely mechanical control systems with very little if any on-board computing capacity. At the other end of the spectrum are military vehicles that include highly complex, autonomously operating vehicle subsystems that communicate over a standard automotive communication bus such as SAE J1708 or J1939. While the latter approach is advantageous to the extent that additional functionality is provided, it can be disadvantageous to the extent that increased complexity creates additional opportunity for failure in the event that the vehicle is damaged in combat. Additionally, even in these systems, an extensive amount of hardwiring is used to interconnect discrete I/O devices, thereby limiting the robustness and flexibility of the control system that is provided.
There is an ongoing need for improved military vehicle control systems that are intelligent and robust. There is also an ongoing need for improved military vehicle control systems that are intelligent and robust and that can continue to operate at a maximum level of effectiveness when the vehicle is damaged by enemy fire, nearby explosions, and so on. The present invention provides a military vehicle control system that meets these needs.